WORK on Worcester Warriors’ new artificial pitch is a week ahead of schedule and is expected to be completed in the middle of August.

Chief executive Jim O’Toole says Warriors have asked for their first Aviva Premiership fixture to be away from home.

The Premiership fixtures are released on Thursday at 11am, with the opening round of matches taking place over the first weekend in September.

It has been a busy week for the club, with head coach Carl Hogg elevated to take over all first team responsibilities following director of rugby Dean Ryan’s departure from Sixways after three years.

Talking about the pitch, O’Toole said: “We are a week ahead.

“The project managers we have brought in to oversee the sub-contractors have managed things extremely well.

“Despite some dodgy weather over the first couple of weeks we are a week ahead.

“We are looking at a completion date of mid August.”

Manufacturer Limonta Sport have installed more than 650 full-size sport fields worldwide in the last six years for professional football and rugby teams.